Questions must be answered about Moore St

The announcement that the State has finally purchased the derelict 1916 National Monument at 14 to 17 Moore Street, greeted by some as a giant leap forward, raises serious and fundamental questions that need now to be addressed in the public interest:

They are as follows:

1. Will details of the purchase of no’s 14 to 17 Moore Street by the State be made available for public scrutiny? Who or what agency valued the derelict buildings at €4 million and how is their proposed restoration costed at €5 million ?

2. Why did the State need to purchase 14 to 17 Moore Street from NAMA, a state agency, at a cost of €4million when NAMA had already set aside €5 million towards the restoration of the buildings? Why weren’t the buildings simply handed over in the financial interest of taxpayers given their decay under the ownership of Chartered Land?

3. Further questions arise concerning the proposed 1916 Commemorative Centre: When will this proposal be made available for consideration by relatives and other interested parties?

4. Will the derelict National Monument now be subject to an independent survey and assessment by suitably qualified experts in line with city council policy?

5. Will the proposed development of the commemorative centre be put out to tender and who will take charge of it upon completion?

6. Will the development include the demolition of buildings or structures that predate 1916?

7. Is the State adopting the Chartered Land Ministerial Consent Order obtained under a planning application that seeks to

demolish the entire area surrounding 14 to 17 Moore Street - an area described as ‘the most important historic site in modern Irish history’ by The National Museum of Ireland?

In an era of openness and transparency these questions must be addressed.

James Connolly Heron

Proinsias O Rathaille

The 1916 Relatives Centenary Initiative

4 Oxford Road

Ranelagh

Dublin